Botanical - Crown Imperial

Botanical - "Crown Imperial" (Fritillaria imperialis) watercolour on Bockingford 150gsm watercolour paper - Maree©

The Fritillaria 'Red', 'Crown Imperial Fritillaria', is a fall planted bulb.

It is native to a wide stretch from Anatolia across the plateau of Iran to Afghanistan, Pakistan and the Himalayan foothills.

The impressive Crown Imperial has a bundle of red bell-like flowers all around the stem and a whimsical crown of green leaves. The pendulous flowers make a bold statement in the garden. It is by far the most well-known species and also one of the earliest plants to be cultivated.

Clusius introduced this majestic plant to the Netherlands as early as the 16th century. The plant is found in such locations as Turkey, Iran and Afghanistan. The odour scares away mice, moles and other rodents.
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